Bella Volturi
by LittleHyperBox
Summary: At the end of New Moon, Bella, Edward and Alice were given the option to join the Volturi. What would happen if they accepted Aro's proposal? This is the story of their lives as members of the Volturi coven.
1. Chapter 1

"I don't suppose there's any chance that you've changed your mind?" Aro asked Edward hopefully. "Your talent would make an excellent addition to our little company."

Edward hesitated. From the corner of my eye, I saw both Felix and Jane grimace.

Edward seemed to weigh each word before he spoke it.

"Well... actually... now you've brought it up."

Aro's paper like face stretched into an enormous grin. "I trust that your answer is yes, my young friend?"

Edward's eyes flashed to me, then to Alice, back to me and then settled on Aro. He smiled. "Certainly. I would be more than happy to join your coven."

Aro was ecstatic, which was more than what could be said for the others. I could not believe what had just happened. Was it not just a few minutes ago that the Volturi were trying to destroy him? Moreover, I was utterly shocked at Edward's answer to Aro's proposal.

"Alice?" Aro asked. "Would you perhaps be interested in joining with us?"

Alice smiled in her angelic fashion. "I would be happy to, if you are happy to have me."

Aro laughed. "I think you already know the answer to that!"

I was appalled at the way Alice had handled things. She hadn't even considered how this would affect Jasper, her one true love. I knew how hard it was being separated from the one who loves you more than any other. They had not spent a day apart for over fifty years. This would surely break his heart.

Aro turned to me. I did not need Alice's gift of foresight to know what was coming next.

"And you, Bella?" Aro raised his eyebrows.

I looked around the chamber. Aro was smiling at me, the patient look on his face reassuring me that I didn't have to make a rushed decision. The two vampires behind him, Marcus and Caius obviously had different thoughts on Aro's plans. Marcus was looking purely bored and was staring down at his hands. Caius, on the other hand had a look of pure hatred. I glanced behind where Edward, Alice and I stood. The two large warriors, Demetri and Felix were looking at me also. Felix pulling the same grimace that he had when Aro asked Edward and Demetri smiling at me as if he was telling me to go for it. Off to Edward's right stood Jane and Alec, hand in hand. Alec had the same expression on his face as Marcus, obviously this matter didn't concern him much and Jane was smiling her smile at me. She must have been trying to attack me again with her usual talent.

Finally my eyes settled on Edward and Alice. My best friend and the love of my life. Surely Alice would not have agreed to join if it posed some danger to us and Edward would have been reading the Volturi's minds. The past eight months had showed me that I found it exceptionally painful to be without Edward. I needed him.

"Yes," I said my voice barely even more than a whisper. "Yes, I will join you."

Aro clapped his hands and laughed. I was surprised that he hadn't started to dance around the room in joy. The expressions on Caius, Felix, and Jane's faces had softened now.

Edward took my hands in his. "Well done love," he whispered in my ear.


	2. Chapter 2

I had felt this pain before, but not as bad as this. When James bit me in the ballet studio nearly a year ago I had felt a terrible searing pain a million times worse than the most horrible of migraines. I knew that as soon as I agreed to join the Volturi, then I must become a vampire. I remembered Edward and Aro's conversation which they had a couple of days ago.

"Young Edward," Aro said. "It is vital that Bella is changed immediately. It would be a great risk for her to be around a large group of vampires as a human, especially as we are approaching feeding time."

Edward nodded. "I understand. Where shall we do this then?"

"Wherever Bella feels comfortable. There are spare bedchambers downstairs that you and Bella shall share. Feel welcome to use one of them."

Aro turned away. "Aro!" Edward called.

"Yes my dear boy?"

Edward look awkward and I'm sure if he was able to blush he would.

"May you change Bella please? You have done this many times and you are the nearest person in Volterra to Carlisle."

Aro gave Edward a kind smile. "Sweet boy, it would be my pleasure and many thanks to you for comparing me to the great Carlisle Cullen. Perhaps when he realises the three of you have joined us, he will reconsider."

Aro's words brought me back to the present. What of Carlisle and the rest of the Cullens? Surely they would have suspected something was wrong by now? Jasper defiantly would have realised that Alice was still in Italy. As far as I knew, Alice hadn't contacted him since we were on the place a few days ago. Although I was happy to be joining the Volturi, it upset me to think of all the people that I had left behind. I would have to ask Edward and Alice about how I was going to contact them. Charlie would be rounding up a search party by now. Not only had I escaped Forks with Alice, with no explanation whatsoever, but it was to save Edward, the person who my dad probably hated most at the moment.

If I can find the power to distract myself a little from the pain, I can remember what happened on the night when Alice said that Edward was in trouble. I remember her staying overnight, Charlie going out to work, Jacob coming to visit, Alice and Jacob arguing, Alice having a vision, Alice and I packing all my things together, me leaving a little note for Charlie, Jacob pleading with me to stay. I forgot about him.

Jacob. How would Jacob feel when he found out that I had become a vampire? Surely he would guess, he's a clever kid. He would have probably waited for Charlie to return home. He would have told him how the reckless Alice Cullen dragged me into the car to go and save her brother, who was in deep trouble. Jacob knew that he wouldn't be able to tell Charlie the whole vampire bit, so he probably made up a story that Edward was on drugs, or Edward was being forced to marry some girl he knocked up. Jacob hated vampires.

Suddenly a thought hit me. Since I was becoming a vampire, would Jacob hate me? These past few months when Edward had been away, Jacob had been there for me. Even though he had his own troubles, like when he was found out he was a werewolf, Jacob had looked out for me and listened to my problems. I wondered if Aro would allow me to ring him, to tell him I'm ok. Probably not. I remember what Alice had said to Jacob when she mentioned Edward's earlier dealings with the Volturi.

"_The Volturi are the very essence of our kind – they're the reason why your hair stands up on end when you smell me. They are the substance of your nightmares, the dread behind your instincts."_

I knew one thing. Jacob would defiantly hate me now. I was not only a vampire, but I was one of them. One of the Volturi coven. The reason why the werewolves hate us.


	3. Chapter 3

I heard Edward's beautiful voice soothing me as I winced, grimaced and screamed as my change was reaching its climax. I was never really one for religion but I prayed that it was nearly over. Edward was holding my hand and I could tell that my suffering was very painful for him.

"It will be over soon," said a voice.

"Alice," I tried to say. I was glad she was here to. My boyfriend and best friend here to comfort me in my time of need.

Edward stoked my head. "Shhh. Do not talk love, do not strain yourself."

I was glad I was nearly there on my journey from human to vampire. After those thoughts about Jacob, that caused me even more pain, I started thinking about what I was going to look like as an immortal.

Would I have a soft, delicate beauty like Esme or Alice or a harsh, magnificent beauty like Rosalie's? My mom always said that beauty came from the inside. How wonderful it would be if I could be as beautiful on the outside as Rosalie, but have the inside beauty that Esme and Alice possess.

"She is going to be stunning," Alice said. "You can see that Edward."

At that point I knew that Alice was showing my vampire self to Edward through her thoughts.

"Yes, but she was already stunning to me," he sighed.

Alice sat down next to me on the bed. "You do not regret this decision do you Edward?"

"No, of course not. You knew that I could not live without Bella. If she was left in Forks with only those wolves to protect her from Victoria then she would be a goner. She's with me now and we are going to be together forever. I told you I was a selfish creature."

Alice laughed. "You're anything but selfish, Edward Cullen. I am the selfish one here. I forgot about Jazz. How will he fare without me? Perhaps he will come and join us once I have contacted him. I hope so."

I felt the weight lift off the bed as Alice went to leave the room. "Carlisle is on his way. He's coming alone. He won't try to make us come home; he just wants to see if we are alright. Charlie wants to know what's happened to Bella, but he can't know the whole truth. The story is that Carlisle's come to see if you're alright and you and Bella have decided to live in Rio. I have moved back to Ithaca to continue with my studies."

"What about Black?" Edward asked.

He was referring to Jacob. During my transformation, Alice had obviously filled him on her meeting with him.

"I cannot see the wolves, Edward. That's why I can only give you Carlisle's side of the story. When I try and see what Charlie's up to as well as Bella's mother, it all becomes blurry. I talked to Aro about it. He has a theory why I can't see the wolves. I can see humans because, even though I have no memories of that life, I have been one. I can see vampires because I am one. Likewise, I cannot see the wolves because I have never been one."

"Thank God for that!" Edward jested.

"I wouldn't want to be one of those things. Can you imagine having a tail!?" Alice joked.

"And coughing up fur balls."

"I wonder if they go to the bathroom outside..."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Edward and Alice were nice, kind-hearted people. How could they say such things? Admittedly, Jacob did have a tail, but that was only in his wolf form. I knew Jacob and the rest of the pack did not cough up fur balls and go to the toilet outside. Jacob was like a brother to me during those troubled months. How could Edward and Alice hate such a lovely person? He was sweet, considerate and adorable how could they not like him?

But then I understood. They hate him for what he is, not who he is. The wolves felt the same about their people. _My people_. I hoped there was a way that when I was a vampire, I could continue my friendship with Jacob. At that moment, it didn't seem very likely at all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Alice POV**

I left Edward alone with Bella in the bed chamber. He change would be over soon, another six hours to go. Bella's change has been the only one that have ever witnessed and I am glad that I can't remember my own. I walked up the stairs and into the main tower room.

"Ah," breathed Aro. "Alice my dear, what may I do for you?"

I smiled at his kindness. Although I knew that the leader of the Volturi could be ruthless and terrible at times I also found out that he could be very sweet and kind.

"I have a favour to ask of you." I started, knowing that he would grant me most of the things that I wished for.

"Ask away," he replied with a kingly wave of his hand.

"I am not sure if you are aware of the fact that I have a husband, who I have not spoken to for nearly a week now. This is the longest time that we have been parted."

Aro's face now showed an expression of sadness and sympathy. "What is your love's name, my sweet?"

"Jasper, sir. It pains me to be away from him."

"Yes, I do understand. It distresses me to be away from my lovely Sulpicia even for an hour. I pray you are not asking to leave us, so soon after your joining?" His mouth was turned down in sadness, but his eyes flashed with menace and anger.

I paused. I had considered it and seen that it would be the death of my beloved Jasper and me. "Certainly not! I am interested in your diet. I may try it myself, since the wildlife around Volterra is rather sparse. All I was asking is if it would be possible to phone Jasper?"

Aro laughed. "Why Alice, you didn't need to ask. The nearest phone is in the reception area. Gianna will be happy to assist."

"Thank you, Aro. Thank you very much."

I was so desperate to speak to Jasper that I ran to the reception.

Gianna was at the reception desk. Booking visits for unsuspecting humans. The humans that would become the Volturi's dinner. _My dinner_.

"Oh, hello there Miss Alice," Gianna said, smiling up at me. "How may I help you?"

The look on her face squeezed my heart with pity. In five weeks time, Alec would slip up and drain her of all the blood in her body. He wouldn't even feel guilty about it. She deserved better, with her being such a good assistant and keeping their secret. Aro should choose to save her. Maybe I will speak with him about it.

"Hi there Gianna, I was wondering if it would be possible to use the telephone."

"Dial away, Miss Alice," she said with a professional tone and carried on with some work on her computer.

"Alone, if I may Gianna."

"Sorry Miss Alice. Mister Felix says that I am to stay at the reception desks during my working hours. You may use my mobile if you like. There is plenty of credit."

Again my heart clenched with the kindness of this human who wasn't going to ever become one of us.

"Thanks, Gianna," I said.

"Anytime, Miss Alice."

I walked into the bathroom, which was used as a distraction for humans and dialled Jasper's number. He picked up on the first ring.

"Hello," he said.

"Jasper," I said and I knew that if I could cry I would.

"Alice," he whispered. "Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me."

"Where are you?"

"Volterra."

"Volterra!" He shouted. "Are they keeping you there? Are they? Are they?"

"No Jazz. You need to listen to me and don't interrupt. I've joined the Volturi. So have Edward and Bella. At the moment, Bella is nearing the end of her change. Edward is with her. Edward has been reading Aro's mind. He plans to keep us. I can see that too. Carlisle is on the plane here right now and will arrive in three and a half hours."

"Alice why?" He said in a voice that broke my heart.

"I have not forsaken the Cullen coven, not yet. Neither has Edward and although Bella doesn't know it yet, neither has she. Edward found out about Bella jumping off the cliff from Rosalie who claimed she was dead because of my messed up vision. I then went to Forks to check if Bella was really alive. Whilst there, I found she had been associating with the wolves, that's what blocked my visions, the wolves. I had a vision of Edward travelling to the Volturi asking to die. They declined so he went to rash measures, nearly getting himself killed. While this was happening, Bella and I were making a mad rush to Italy as you know. The Volturi caught the three of us and took us to the castle. Aro proposed that Edward joins and he accepted, reading my mind that if he didn't, the three of us would die. I was then asked to join and had no option but to accept too. This left Bella who knew that she wasn't getting out of Volterra alive."

"I will come and save you Alice."

"No Jazz, please. I will find my own way out."

He groaned with frustration. "Alice, I can't take another day without you. If you come, both of us and both Edward and Bella will be killed. Tell the same to Emmett. Once you fill him in on the story he'll want to do the same."

"If the whole Cullen coven comes, as well as some old Allies, we can take down Volterra and save you!"

"No! That would be the death of all of us. Think of our friends, do they really deserve to get tangled up in all this mess? And think of Esme. Half of her family is lost. Does she really deserve to lose the other half? I still love you Jazz, more than anything in the world. As a favour for me would you tell exactly what I've said to Rose, Em, Esme and Carlisle? Especially Carlisle. I'm going to use some hateful words to make him think that we don't want to know him and he'll leave, unharmed. He'll return to you upset but not angry. Tell him how much we love him. That he's a great father. Tell him everything I told him was a lie. No power in Volterra will detect that everything I say is false. We shall find a way to get out. It may be years from now until Aro lets us go, but it will be someday. I love you Jasper."

"Love you Alice. Can I ring you back?"

"No Jazz, it's someone's mobile. If I need to contact you I will. Goodbye."

"Goodbye Alice."

I hung up, deleted Jasper's number out of the dialled calls and walked out the bathroom.

Gianna looked up and smiled at me. "All done Miss Alice?"

"Yes. Thanks again for the mobile Gianna. I can image I've used up a lot of your credit."

"Never mind Miss Alice. How is Miss Bella?"

"She's nearing the end of the change, Gianna."

"That's good. Even I, a human, could hear her screams."

A door opened. Felix strode in.

"Gianna. How are you?" He asked in a cocky manner.

Her heart rate excelled. "Well thank you Mister Felix."

"Aro says you're to have the night off. He also sends some money. He's says you're to go and buy yourself dinner for all your professionalism over the past few days."

Her face lit up. "Please thank him, Mister Felix."

"See you later, Gianna," he winked at her, and she blushed. "Alice." He nodded to me and then went back the way he came.

Gianna was gathering her coat and bag. "See you tomorrow, Miss Alice."

"Bye Gianna," I said. "Have a nice meal."

Once Gianna had left I felt lonely. I had no other ways of occupying my time. Edward was still with Bella and I didn't want to go back into the bed chamber where Bella was suffering. Still, I decided to go and look in castle's vast library of books. Some of them were hundreds of years old and that intrigued me greatly.

As I was walking to the library I met Jane. She smiled a genuine smile at me. Perhaps she wasn't as evil as I thought she was.

"Alice, Aro has sent me to find you. He wants to see you in the main chamber."

"What about?" I asked.

"He didn't give me details. You're to come with me."

I followed the smaller vampire through the corridors. As we walked, I spotted some of the paintings. There were some masters, if I was not mistaken. I would have to come and have a look at them later.

We had reached the chamber. All the usual people were in there; Aro, Marcus, Caius, Demitiri, Felix, Jane and Alec, but there was also one more in there.

Carlisle was here.


	5. Chapter 5

**Alice POV**

Carlisle was in the clothes that I had seen him in a week ago. He hadn't had the chance to change. I knew from my visions that he had booked a few days off work. 'Immediate holiday' he called it. The hospital swiftly accepted his application for holiday. He was indeed the best doctor Forks General Hospital had ever seen. In fact, any hospital which had Carlisle as an employee was very lucky to have him.

He smiled at me, not a sad smile, not a relieved smile, but one of great happiness and joy. This was the smile that I saw when I greeted him when he returned home from work, when we were out running, or just when he saw any of his family happy.

"Look Alice! It's Carlisle!" Aro said happily.

"Yes," I answered in the flattest voice I could manage although I was desperate to go over to Carlisle and hug him and ask him to take me home. I turned towards him. "Hello Carlisle."

"Hi there Alice," he replied, not a hint of unease in his voice. "We've missed you at home. Especially Jasper."

"Yes, well I've dealt with Jasper on the phone," I said in a cold, steely hard voice.

"Aro's just been informing me of your decision. I do not doubt his explanation of how very enthusiastic you were to join his coven, but may I ask why you chose to leave your family?"

There was a heavy pause. I looked Carlisle directly in the eye.

"Your way of life annoys me. Your morals, how we should respect humans. To me, humans are little more than dinner."

As soon as I had said these words, Carlisle's smile disappeared from his face.

"If you cannot find the strength to keep to an animal blood diet Alice, you have your family to support you," he said.

"I don't need my family!" I snarled. "I have Edward, I have Bella and I have my coven. Aro is a lot better leader than you ever were. They are proper vampires. They don't play silly games like you do with deer and mountain lions. They know what's good for us, what keeps us strong. Besides, the Cullens aren't my family. My family put me in that asylum when I was a human. My family is dead."

"What about Jasper?" Carlisle asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "What about him? I'm not going to explain what was said over the phone, that's between me and him."

"I understand," said Carlisle. "May I see Edward?" He directed this question at Aro.

"Edward is with Bella, my friend," Aro said.

"She is changing, I presume," Carlisle said.

"Yes," Aro answered. "In fact, according to young Alice she only has an hour or so to go."

"Would you like me to be there when she wakes up?" Carlisle offered.

"What!?" Barked Caius. "And put more of your hair brained ideas into her head? I think you know the answer to that question _my friend_!"

"If it is alright with you, I think I shall be taking my leave now," said Carlisle.

"Yes go. Go back to wherever you came from and play doctors. Do whatever you do to survive!" Said Caius.

Carlisle ignored the taunts, which I was very glad of. With a quick wave and his fatherly smile to me he was gone.

"Thank God that's over," Caius said. "You know Alice, that man is a real nuisance to us. When we first met him a couple of hundred years ago, we pondered about his great potential. If he was one of us he would be able to connect with humans like no other has been able to do before. It was only his compassion that saved me from killing him."

"Caius," Aro said. "Carlisle is a great man and a great friend of mine. It is such a shame he refused to join us and this visit was purely to see what had happened to Alice, Edward and Bella. Maybe in the next hundred years or so he will grow tired of his ways and chose to join us as part of our quest for greatness."

"He enjoys his work too much," I said. "That is why he stays. Also, Esme enjoys the quiet family life. She is just as compassionate as Carlisle. She believes that humans are important and deserve to be left alone."

"Stupid woman," Caius muttered.

I was so angry at that comment. How dare he claim that Esme, my mother figure and most caring of all was a 'stupid woman'? Esme was anything but stupid.

"If you don't mind I shall go and check on Bella. Like you said to Carlisle, Aro, Bella's time between human and vampire is ending. She is nearly one of us."

"Very well," said Aro. "Go and find your friend."

I left the rest of my coven in the main chamber. That meeting with Carlisle had left me depressed. No doubt Edward would have been listening in. I hope he thought that I had handled the situation correctly.

I walked into Bella's bed chamber. Edward got up from beside Bella and put his arms around me.

"Oh Edward," I said, crying tearlessly. "I really upset him."

"Alice, you did everything that you could have to protect him from the truth. Let's hope Aro doesn't want to read out thoughts."

I jumped out of the hug. "Crap! I forgot! Aro can read every thought we've ever had! What shall we do? How shall we escape?"

"I don't know," Edward said in a defeated voice. "I really don't know."

We both looked to Bella who was still lying on the bed. Thankfully, she wasn't screaming now, only twitching.

"Three, two, one," Edward and I counted together.

Bella opened her eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

**Bella POV**

The ceiling is grey. The walls are grey. The floor is grey. What was there a time machine or something? I defiantly know I'm not in American anymore. This looks like a castle. An old King Arthur type castle. Could I be in England? Merry Old England? I hope I am I've never been to England before! Or maybe, I could be in France? The South of France. I can't wait to go and soak up some sun on the beaches of Marseille.

"Bella love? Are you alight?" Said a gorgeous voice, from my direct right.

"Edward?" I asked. Wow, my voice does sound sort of incredible too. Like wind chimes. "What are you doing in Marseille? It's sunny here. You should know by now you aren't allowed out in the sun."

His face screwed up in confusion. "Bella what the hell are you talking about?"

I looked around and saw Alice was standing by the door, with a look of disbelief on her face. It was really strange for Alice not to look into her own future and actually know where about in the world we were.

"Alice?" I said with surprise, partly because she looked confused and partly from my newly changed voice. "Tell Edward that were are in Marseille."

"We're not in Marseille Bella," she said bluntly. "We're in Italy."

"Italy?"

"Yes," she replied. "Italy."

I laughed and clapped my hands. "Even better! I've always wanted to go to Italy! You know I love Italian food and there's so much culture!"

It was Edward who spoke next. "Bella, you're not going to be eating any more Italian food. Where we are now you're going to have as much sunshine as you did when you lived in Forks."

"I'm sorry, I don't follow."

"Volterra, Bella. That's where we are," he said gravely.

I laughed in disbelief. "Isn't that where the Volturi live?"

He nodded.

"I thought you hated the Volturi," I said, the humour gone from my voice.

"Be quiet Bella, please. Do you remember what happened a few days ago?"

I gasped. All the dim memories can flooding back to me. I finally realised what had been happening. Why else would I have suffered three whole days of unimaginable pain?

"I'm a vampire."

"Yes, love. You're one of us now," he replied gently.

"I remember now. I agreed to join them. The Volturi. That was when I was human. They had do change me. It was Aro who did it, because you asked him."

There was a knock at the door. Alice went to answer it.

"Marcus?" She said, obviously hadn't seen that one coming either. "What can we do for you this fine day?"

He glided in with such grace it put Alice to shame. "I was wondering if Bella had completed her transformation." He looked at me, still sitting on the bed. "I can see that you have."

He moved closer to where Edward and I were sitting and took a closer look at me. I was surprised to see that he had a small smile on his face. A genuine smile.

"Well Bella, how are you feeling?" He asked.

"Fine thank you," I answered, not telling the whole truth. I did have a really bad sore throat.

"I'm glad," he replied. "I suppose you wish to feed?"

I don't know why but I was suddenly excited about the fact that I was soon to participate in my first vampire meal.

"Humans?" I asked.

"Yes, of course. The wildlife in the surrounding area is not suitable for some people's dietary needs. There are plenty of cows and sheep, but they are owned by farmers and they would notice if hundreds of their flock went missing. Humans, on the other hand are a lot easier to come across. Heidi is out scouting now. She should be returning in a few minutes with a plentiful feast. Edward and Alice are going to be getting their fair share too, I can imagine."

I looked at Edward and Alice. They had spent many years with Carlisle trying to perfect the skill of self control like he had. It would be a shame for them to throw it all away after so much practice.

"You are probably wondering why I have come to check up on you Bella. I of all people seemed most disinterested in your earlier matter. My talent is being able to manipulate relationships. I can make them improve, or make them do the complete opposite. When a new vampire joins out coven, I am the one who is able to break off the relationships between friends and family from their former life. I am only to do this if you wish right now because we have decided that your are trustworthy. Let's think of a bad example, one that ended in the destruction of some much love and loyalty.

"During the early days of our establishment, around 2500 years ago, there were seven members. Aro, Caius and I, our wives and a solitary vampire that was one of the best fighters imaginable. His name was Titus. When he was human, he was the best gladiator in Rome. He rose from a lowly slave to a wealthy man, who we realised could have so much potential as part of the Volturi.

"We changed him, but he proved to be constantly in a dull mood. After around six years, I approached him about it. The man just collapsed in sadness. He was crying tearlessly. He finally opened up to me. Apparently, he had a lover when he was human. Her name was Aurelia, meaning golden. He told me he still visited her at nights, when she was alone. This was against the rules that Aro, Caius and I had set out several years before. Worst of all is that he had told her the truth about what he really was. She wasn't scared, if anything she wanted to be like him. In the end, the two of them decided to meet with us, and propose that Aurelia joined our coven. We were discussed with him. We came to an immediate decision that both of them must be killed. We made a fire a burnt them together, in each other's arms.

"You are probably wondering what this has to do with you, Bella. I am giving you the opportunity to break off all the relationships that you have had with humans. They will not forget you; only hate you, never wanting to see you ever again. This is best for them, you can understand and defiantly best for you. You do not want to end up like Titus and Aurelia do you?"

I paused and considered my answer. It would be the best thing to do for everyone if all contacts were broken off between me and humans. But I wouldn't want them to hate me, especially my parents. Jacob would automatically hate because of what I had become, so it didn't really matter about him.

"I'll be alright, thank you anyway Marcus," I answered.

"Yes, it is your choice. You are welcome to ask me again if you do so happen to change your mind."

He nodded at Edward and Alice and left the room. The three of us stayed silent. I was unaware whether either of them had though that I had made a mistake, but I knew that I hadn't.

"Edward, pass me a mirror please," I asked after what seemed like an eternity of silence.

"Why?" He asked.

If it was Jacob I would have thought of a sarcastic answer, but this was Edward and the mood was too gloomy for jokes.

"I want to see what I have become."


	7. Chapter 7

I see a young woman of extraordinary beauty. She is staring right back at me. Her hair is the colour of dark mahogany which compliments her snowy white skin. All blemishes on her face have gone and her eye lashes have become longer and defined her eyes. _Her eyes! _They were what stood out about her most. They were the most startling shade of crimson.

I gasped. This person in the mirror was me!

"Edward," I said.

He was by my side in an instant.

"Yes love?" He asked.

"My eyes."

"The colour will fade once you've consumed some animal blood," he said as he stroked my hair.

"Don't you understand Edward?" Alice basically shouted. "When in Volterra, we cannot access animal blood. I have seen it in my visions that we must consume human blood. I know this isn't what we want and it is a shame to give up after so many years of trying, but we have to do this."

He growled at her. "We can hang on."

"No! We can't. I've seen it, through my thoughts you've seen it! We have to drink the blood of humans. If we don't, we'll go mad."

"Hold on a second," I started, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "We can try human blood. It'll make a change for you and if in the future we want to convert to animal blood again we can."

"It's not that easy Bella, trust me," Edward said. "During the darker days of my existence, my early days, when I felt rebellious, I hunted humans. Once I grew tired and weary of hearing their final thoughts, sensing the fear through their mind, I decided to return to Carlisle. Being Carlisle he opened me back with open arms and had the patience to work with me to become like him. I found it exceptionally difficult. Every time I smelt a human's blood I felt the need to run at them. It was Carlisle's, and Esme's at that point thoughts that kept me from going on a rampage."

"I've never tasted human blood," Alice said. "As soon as I woke up in my new body, I knew my destiny. I resisted my temptations because I knew of the future."

Suddenly I was nearly knocked back by a mouth watering smell. Better than any smell imaginable. I am not going to even bother explaining how amazing it was.

"Bella resist!" Edward said, grabbing my shoulders. "Resist for now, my love."

"No!" I hissed. "Let me have it. Let me have it now!"

He was grabbing me, trying to restrain me from rampaging through the castle. I could hear their hearts beating. All at different rates.

"Alice help me!" Edward said, as he struggled.

"No Edward," Alice said. "Just give up. Let her have them. It's causing her pain. Besides, these people will die anyway. Even if it isn't at the hands of Bella. Somebody else will finish them off."

He let me go and I dashed towards the aroma. I could hear a female voice guiding them around and the humans asking questions.

"So when was Volterra actually built?" An Englishwoman asked.

"It's very old. Nobody kept accounts of when it was founded, but historians reckon that it's been here for over 3000 years."

"And is that old?" I heard a higher pitched voice asked. A child's voice.

The female vampire laughed. "Oh, very old sweetie. Older than anyone imaginable."

"I want to go back home Daddy!" Cried a voice.

"Come on Archie," said the father. "You're a big boy now. Tell you what! How about when we've finished in here we can go back to the hotel and see what Mommy's up to. Maybe later she'll take us out for some food."

"Yay!" The little boy shouted.

The people stopped walking. It was amazing what my new hearing was like. I was about to run carry on running towards my prey when a hand grabbed my shoulder. It was Edward.

"Wait," he said.

I could tell by the seriousness in his voice that he wished for me not to go any further. I don't know what stopped me continuing towards the group of humans but something did. It felt like some inner force was pushing against me telling me to stop.

"They will come to you," he said. "Try not to breathe."

I looked up at him. "What are you doing following me?" I questioned him.

"I want you to wait for me, that's all. I think that if you're going to start on a human diet, then I shall too. Then, in the future, if we wish to convert to a vegetarian diet then we can do it together."

"Thanks," I said.

We stood there in silence for a couple of minutes, the hunger force and the unknown on fighting against each other in my body. It felt like I was splitting in two. It wasn't painful, just uncomfortable.

The human's were getting extremely close now. Too close. There was no going back now for them. They were no-hopers, as my mom would put it. I felt a sudden pain deep in my chest when I thought about my mom. I hadn't seen her for ages and I missed her a lot.

"Now we are about to enter the old servant's quarters of the castle. They haven't been in use for many centuries," said Heidi.

The door opened then and Heidi led the group in. She stared at us.

"Bella, Edward," she said with mock surprise. "How lovely to see you here!"

The group did not notice us until she spoke and they turned round and looked. Most of the faces were looking up at Edward, who was at the front, nobody noticed me at first. Women were blushing and I felt both anger and bloodlust towards them. I could not resist anymore. I strolled out casually from behind Edward.

The group saw me then. The men were staring at me with their mouths open, and I heard Edward growl. He was obviously reading their thoughts and some of them were having rather vivid ones about my body. The women looked at me with scowling faces.

A child screamed and pointed towards my eyes. The group looked towards the youngster, then towards me and then total havoc broke out. People were moving towards the door, but there was no escape. Heidi was blocking the door and had taker her blue contacts out, so her eyes were no longer a strange violet colour, but back to her customary red.

I walked towards a woman. She looked a lot like that Lauren Mallory from Forks High School. The one who was always mean to me and snobby to the extreme. I would get her first.

"Please," she begged. "Please!"

I grabbed her upper arms and heard them break under the pressure. She screamed.

"Noooooooooooooo," she cried, tears running down her face making streaks in her plastered on makeup, leaving white lines down her face.

I put my lips towards her neck and bit her hard. She screamed again.

Her blood flowed freely into my mouth. It tasted like something unimaginable. Better than anything that I had eaten in my human life. I continued draining her and the thirst gradually decreased. The woman went from struggling and screaming to becoming still. I dropped her body on the floor and breathed in the scent of the onlookers. Edward and Heidi did the same and we quickly consumed the whole group. Too bad there would be none left for the others I thought sarcastically.

After my "meal" I felt so much better than I did before, the scent had gone and a healthy crimson had replaced the gold in Edward's eyes. I wondered how many people I had killed. How many families I had destroyed. The thing was, I didn't even feel guilty.


	8. Chapter 8

**Alice POV**

I can hear the screams for real this time. I had already seen what Edward and Bella were going to do to that group of humans in my visions, but I hoped in vain that they would change their mind at the last minute.

I think back to a few minutes ago when Bella found the scent too overpowering and ran towards it, leaving Edward and I alone.

"Where are you going?" I asked, as Edward was going to follow Bella. Of course, I already knew.

"To follow Bella," he asked.

"Why?"

"She needs me."

"Think of Carlisle and Esme and all that you have worked for. Do not give up now Edward. I know Bella needs you and there is no hope for her. She will drink human blood. But you don't need to."

He looked at me, with a strange expression on his face that I couldn't identify, and then ran off in the same direction that Bella had gone a few seconds beforehand.

As soon as the screaming began I covered my ears and rocked back a forth. Edward had Bella. Bella had Edward. There was no way that I was going to become friendly enough with any other member of the Volturi that I could speak to them about my worries and concerns. I needed Jasper.

My visions reassured me that he wasn't thinking of coming to rescue me anytime soon. I saw back home, where the remaining members of the Cullen coven were. Jasper was on the sofa, his head in his hands. He was crying. I wished I could be there to support him. Esme had her arms around him, like a mother comforting her little boy. That's what he is to her, a little boy, her baby. We are all like that to her.

Carlisle was on his other side, his hand on Jasper's shoulder. He was talking to him. Telling him that I was going to be fine. I wished I could believe those words myself.

Rosalie and Emmett were off to one side talking. It seemed as if Emmett was comforting her.

"It's all my fault," she whispered to him.

"No, it's not babe," he replied.

"Yes, Em, it is. If I had never had told Edward that Bella was dead he would never have gone to the Volturi and we would never have lost both of them and Alice."

He looked directly into her eyes. "They. Are. Not. Lost."

The vision ended then and I was alone. Alone. I could not escape the coven soon. If Edward was siding with them then I didn't stand a chance. Besides, Demetri was an extremely talented tracker. He would track me down and kill me. If I went back to the Cullen's he would kill them too. I would rather be unhappy for all eternity than have my family die because of my selfishness.


	9. Chapter 9

**Bella POV**

After we had finished our meal, Heidi, Edward and I cleared away the carcasses. We joked amongst each other about random things just like humans would do and Heidi told us about some of the adventures she's had over her past three thousand or so years of her life. In many ways she was like Rosalie, totally vain but likeable at the same time. She spoke with an unknown accent. I presume it must have been the norm many hundreds of years ago, but had died out over the centuries. Heidi was the Volturi's "fisher". She called herself that because she would be the one who would catch the humans in order for them to be brought here. She was also known as "bait" because she was seen like that to the humans who were instantly attracted to her because of her good looks.

"Do you have a talent?" I asked out of curiosity.

She smiled at me. "We used to have a vampire here who could instantly tell you what your talent was. This was useful when we about to kill a human, but their potential talent as a vampire would be useful. I was picked up by Aro after a couple of centuries of the Volturi being in existence. He thought me good looking, even for a human. I suppose it was his curiosity that saved me. In answer to your question I do not have a specific talent, only if you could my enhanced good looks.

"And what about you, Bella? Are you aware of your talent yet?"

"She's not," Edward answered for me. "Aro thinks it is a shield of sorts. As a human she was resistant to Aro's and Jane's talent as well as my own. She still is, in fact."

"A shield," Heidi pondered. "How interesting...."

"What shall we do with the bodies?" I asked Heidi.

"We burn them. There's an oven in the cellar."

I wondered what would happen to the families of the people who had just been killed. I thought back to the little boy named Archie who had wanted to leave. His dad told him that they were going to check up on what his mother was up to back at a hotel and then later in the evening they were going to out for a meal.

"What happens to these people's families?" I asked.

Heidi shrugged. "Usually Gianna deals with them, making up fake stories and bribing the police. As for the families' feelings, well, they're just going to have to get over it. Once we've finished with them, it's hardly our problem."

I wasn't so pleased about her attitude. She's been doing this for centuries though, so she had to know what she was talking about. I wasn't going to bother arguing with her. Something told me that Heidi wasn't the right person to get on the wrong side of.

"As for your gift," she said. "It's extraordinary. Perhaps you two should leave the clearing up to me. Aro will want to speak with you. He hasn't seen you Bella since you were human."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "There is a lot to clean up. It will take a long time."

She laughed. "What's a couple of hours to an immortal? I have lived through millions of them. Goodbye you two."

Edward and I said our goodbyes and walked off through one of the many doors leading off from the room. I had no idea where Edward was leading me, but I was happy that I was alone with him. We went into a room full of books and shut the door behind us.

"I gather this is the library then," I said.

"One of them. The castle has many. I still haven't had the chance to explore yet. I was with you all the time while you were changing."

I looked at Edward directly in the face. He was a million times more perfect through my vampire eyes than he had ever been through my human ones. His eyes were now crimson, but still had flecks of gold in them.

"You're perfect," I whisper to him, caressing his face.

"You think too much of me," was his answer and he played with my hair.

"What about Aro, won't he want to see us?" I asked.

"Aro can wait, he's a patient man."

Edward brought me to his chest and his fingers explored me. He started with my hair, twirling it between his fingers, curling it and straightening it out. His next move was to cup my face in his hands and to feel my cheekbones, nose and lips with his thumbs. His hands then moved down both sides of my neck and then down to my breasts.

I gasped and could not help grabbing hold of his hands.

"Edward!" I said.

He instantly removed his hands from my body and looked deeply ashamed of himself.

"I apologize Bella; I just lost control of myself. You're so irresistible, but that's no excuse. Forgive me," he said, in a sincere early 20th century tone.

"I already have," I said.

"It's just, I've missed you so much and now we're stuck with each other for the rest of eternity, I thought you might want to... you know," he said awkwardly. I could tell that he was embarrassed, just like any boy trying to tell his girlfriend he wants to have sex with them.

"Edward, I thought you might want to wait. I mean, you were raised in the early 20th century. I thought you would have wanted to wait until after marriage."

His face lit up. "Marriage! That's the answer!"

I suddenly realised what I had said, and what ideas I had put into my head. My mom raised my to think that marriage was a big no-no, especially at such a young age.

"What? You cannot be serious Edward Cullen!"

"Why not Bella? I love you, you love me. We both want to do the deed, if you follow. You want me to keep my values and I want you to keep your innocence."

"Edward, you sound so, old-fashioned," I said.

He shot me his crooked smile. "I am over one hundred years old, I think I have a right to be."

"I don't want to get married Edward," I said.

His smile disappeared. "You've been seeing someone else."

"No!" I said. "No Edward, I haven't. You're the only one I love."

"It's that Jacob isn't it!?" He said. "That stupid mutt!"

"Don't dare bring Jacob into this!" I said. "He's out of my life now, forever."

"But you will never forget him," he said.

"No I won't. I won't forget him because he was my friend. When you weren't around he helped me piece together the broken bits of my life back. He was like a brother to me. He loved me, but I didn't love him, not in that way."

He sat motionless for a while and then stood up.

"Where are you going Edward?" I asked.

"I need some air," he answered sharply and strode out the room, closing the door behind him.

We had never argued like this. I thought that he had been someone that I could talk to about anything and he would understand and believe me.

When I was human, I believe that becoming a vampire would make things better for me. I thought that I would always have Edward and never be alone. Now, I felt more alone than ever.


	10. Chapter 10

I sat there, motionless for hours on end. Nobody came to find me, which I thought was odd, because they knew where I was. Maybe it was their way of doing things in Volterra; if somebody was upset or angry leave them for a few hours to cool off.

The door opened and I heard almost silent footsteps on the ground.

"Bella," said a voice. "Edward says that you both have had a disagreement."

I turned around and to my surprise saw Jane there with a blank look on her face. There was no concern in her voice, but neither was there any anger.

"Did he say?" I asked "Or did Aro read his thoughts?"

Jane laughed. It was almost like a child's giggles, full of mirth.

"No, he told us. He was rather upset, though I do not know why. He told Aro it was a private matter between the both of you. A _very _private matter, to tell the whole truth. We thought it may be concerning your relationship as mates and therefore was to cause no potential harm to the coven," she said, and to my upmost surprise came and sat by me.

"You're sad," she told me.

I looked at her and saw that she looked unhappy. In that moment she did not look like the torturing monster that I saw in her before, but a vulnerable child.

"You're not wrong," I replied.

"Bella, tell me why," she said. "Please," she added, like a child who was pleading with her mother for something special.

I looked at her. She could be no older than twelve, thirteen at most; surely she would not understand this whole argument. But then I remembered how old she really was. She was probably a hundred times older than I was.

"Edward wants to marry me," I sighed.

"That's good!" She said and I looked at her with a questioning look on my face.

"Good?" I said in disbelief. "You're crazy!"

She hissed then, a dark, threatening sound.

"I'm crazy?" She said. "You better thank your lucky stars that my power does not work on you, Isabella Marie Swan."

"I'm sorry Jane," I said, my voice shaky. Even though I was immune to her powers, I still saw her as a dangerous acquaintance.

She then looked me directly in the eye, with a face that was about to burst into tears. Jane surprised me even more then by hugging me, her little body shaking with dry sobs.

"They called me crazy," she said quietly.

"Who did?"

"The witch hunters," she said in a voice that reminded me of kids in horror movies that you always felt sorry for, but were really creepy all the same.

"The witch hunters?" I asked.

"Yes, the witch hunters. It's part of my story and Alec's too," she said. "Would you like to hear it? It's not a very happy one, but it does have a happy ending."

She looked up at me with an angelic look on her face.

"If you're happy to tell me it," I said.

"Certainly," she said in a perky voice, sat up and stretched herself like she was going to be here for a while.

"First off, Alec and I are actually twins. We were born to the same mother around 1700. She died in childbirth and our father remarried. Like the stereotypical stepmother, she treated us badly. At the age of seven, we were both sent to a workhouse. Aro noticed us and noticed our possible potential as vampires. Of course, because of the immortal child law he had to wait until we were a bit older to change us. He decided to leave it for another eight years, when we were both fifteen. As our fifteenth birthday approached, the witch hunter along with his followers arrived in town. We were reported to them as witches and that was an instant death threat. The dunked us in ponds, to see if we floated. If you sunk you were dead anyway, but we both floated; hardly a surprise because the water was only a few inches deep. Therefore, we were guilty of witchcraft and sentenced to burn at the steak on our birthday. Alec and I had lost all hope off being rescued, but we saw death as an escape from our terrible life. They tied us together, which we were glad of because at least we would die together. The executioner lit the wood and we were slowly being burnt to death. Aro came then with some of the guard and slaughtered the entire village. I could barely believe what I was seeing. Thankfully if didn't take long to destroy the weak crowed of humans. Aro stepped into the fire and released us both and changed us. After our change we woke with these strange gifts. I could cause pain to others with just one look and Alec could create paralyse the senses. I could make people feel pain; he could make people feel nothing. Alec and I are eternally bonded to the Volturi coven and we are ever grateful towards Aro. He is like the father we never had."

She turned to walk out the room. I sat there, thinking about what she had just said. Jane wasn't as evil as I thought her to be. No wonder she hated humans after all that she had been through. I started to pity her and Alec and started to feel hatred towards the humans that had treated them cruelly.

I hadn't noticed that Jane had left the room because I was thinking so deeply. I hoped that Jane and I could be friends. She seemed to have warmed up to me over the time that we had spent together that day. She was being friendlier than Alice was at the moment. Alice was acting coldly towards me and refused to let go of her old lifestyle. I decided that I would go and confront her about it. If she wasn't going to make the first move, then I certainly was.


	11. Chapter 11

I found her alone in her room or chamber as Aro likes to call it. She was sitting in a chair facing the wall. Being Alice she would have known that I was coming, but she made no effort to show it.

I walked into the centre of the room and cleared my throat. Again, she made no sign that she heard me.

"Alice?" I ask cautiously taking a few more steps towards her.

"Bella," she said flatly with no hit of her usual perkiness.

I decided to tread carefully. She would have seen the conversation already and would have planned what to say.

"I came to see how you are," I said in a kind, caring voice.

She ignored me and still sat facing the wall, as still as a statue. I walked around the table and stood in front of her. She would have to look at me now.

"Alice?" I asked again, a hint of annoyance now in my voice.

She focused her eyes on my face. I had to stifle a gasp when I saw her appearance. She was looked like a real vampire. The being trapped in a dark, dusty turret all day for over a week now had taken its toll on her. Her once flawless, alabaster skin had now had a powdery texture and looked very delicate. Her eyes were the deepest shade of black and had heavy shadows under them. What was most peculiar was that Alice looked as if she had aged. Ok, she didn't have wrinkles; she still looked young. It was the way she was sitting, as if she had given up on life.

"I miss him Bella," she said, her black eyes staring into my scarlet ones.

I put a friendly arm around her shoulders and smile. "Hey, come on Alice. It's only been a week."

As soon as I had said those words I regretted them. Alice let out a low, threatening growl.

"It's only been a week," she said, mimicking my voice to perfection. "I've been with Jasper for nearly seventy years and we barely spent one day apart. You have no idea how difficult it is for me."

I sigh. "Oh come on Alice. Edward and I were apart for over half a year, surely that's worse than spending one week apart?"

Alice stood up immediately and rapidly lifted a hand up and slapped me around the face. The speed and aggression behind the hit made my new hard skin burn. I dread to think what damage it would have done to my weak, human skin.

"Alice!" I shout. "What the hell was that for?"She moves towards me, so that our faces are only an inch or so apart.

"How did you get like this Bella?" She asks, her anger changing into hurt and confusion. "In the space of a week you've become an inhuman monster."

I bare my teeth at her. "I'm the monster. This is how our kind is supposed to be Alice, not like you. Vampires were created to feed off humans. Anybody who does otherwise is a fool."

She shakes her head at me. "A fool? How can you say that about us Bella? After all we did for you, especially Carlisle and Esme. I'd like to see you call them fools."

"Perhaps Carlisle is a fool. He wants to save the world, be the hero. I bet he's only doing good for his own personal gain."

"What?" She screeches "Carlisle would only ever put others before himself. You bad mouth him, you bad mouth me!"

I laugh humourlessly. "Oh yes, because Carlisle is perfect. Everybody just loves Carlisle Cullen! You know, Aro is a much better leader than Carlisle will ever be."

She sighed and moved away from me slightly. "Ok Bella. I can see that you are annoyed and have just expressed your dislike for Carlisle. I'm not going to bother trying to fight back. I can see I'm never going to win. Goodbye Bella."

Alice walked towards the door. I noticed that her walk was still graceful, but had lost its dance like steps.

She turned back to me. "Bella. I'd just thought I'd tell you. Edward will find out about what you said about Carlisle and my family. I can tell you that he won't be pleased."

Alice left me then. I sat back in the chair and pondered her words. How did I change so much in the past week? Maybe the human in me left when my heart stopped. I don't know. Edward had changed a bit too, or he might have changed to help and to be with me. All I knew was that I didn't think Alice and I were ever going to be friends again.


	12. Chapter 12

I sat there in that chair for what seemed like days. The arguments that Edward and Alice had had with me spun around in my head. I thought that vampire minds where meant to be able to solved problems instantly. All the words which I'd thrown at Alice were purely out of annoyance. I regretted saying things about her choices and especially about Carlisle. The things I'd said about Carlisle made me feel very guilty.

I heard gently footsteps approaching the door and picked up Edward's scent. He was coming to see me!

I stood up and quickly moved towards the centre of the room. Unnecessarily I brushed myself down, a habit which was very human.

When the door opened I shot Edward my widest and cheeriest smile. I had no idea how it would look on my new beautiful face and whether it would compliment my scarlet eyes.

"Edward!" I said happily. "I've missed you!"

I decided not to make a move towards him, though it took most of my control not to.

He merely nodded once in my direction. "Bella," he said solemnly.

Edward moved towards the centre of the room so he was facing me. The smile had disappeared off my face.

He sighed and looked me directly in the eyes. "I head what you said about Carlisle."

"Did Alice tell you?" I asked, which when I come to think of it, sounded more like demanding an answer.

"She was replaying your little encounter as she ran past me earlier," he looked at me and shook his head, as if in disgust. "How could you say such things to her?"

"Excuse me?" I said, my voice rising. "She was the one who growled at me. So technically she started it."

He laughed humourlessly. "Do you realise how childish you sound? I always thought you to be kind Bella, but what you said to Alice about Jasper was just plain insensitive."

"What do you mean 'just plain insensitive'?" I asked.

"You said to Alice that the situation that you were in when you and I were apart was much worse than what Alice and Jasper are going through now."

I shrugged. "Well, I'm not going to disagree with that because it was."

Edward huffed in surprise. "Bella, I thought you were intelligent."

I raised one eyebrow in confusion. I really didn't have a clue to what he was talking about. Although Edward can't read my mind, he understood from the look I was giving him that I had no idea what he meant.

"I thought you were clever enough to realise that you can't compare another person's situation to your own and then say that you were worse off. You have no idea of what's going through Alice's mind at the moment. All the happiness that used to be in there has now been replaced by a, not a feeling of sadness, but nothingness. I fear she's having a breakdown."

I stared at him, mouth open. Now I was the one to be surprised. "Now you know how I felt when you went away."

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright Bella, I will admit that the situation that Alice and Jasper are in right now is somewhat similar to the one you and I were in over the past few months. But I need you to remember that Alice got forced into this decision. She had to join the Volturi to save us, herself and the rest of the family, especially Jasper. If she hadn't complied with Aro then we would all be dead by now. Thing about it that way will you Bella? She had to leave Jasper against her will to save us all. It probably took all her courage to do so. I left you because you were in danger, I wanted you to get on with a human life. I don't regret changing you; I never will."

I nodded once, getting a better grasp of what Edward was talking about.

"I thought you might've regretted changing me. We've hardly spent any time together over the past few days."

He moved closer to me and took both my hands in his. "Never would I regret the decision which allowed you to spend the rest of eternity with me."

I lifted our joined hands up and kissed them. "I'm glad you think that way."

"Of course I do. Don't you ever think otherwise. It was so hard for me to be apart from you, every day I had to fight the urge for me to come back to you, but I thought it was for your own good me being out of your life. I thought you'd just pick up from where you were before you even met me. Meet a guy in high school that was right for you, graduate, marry him, have children and grow old together."

His words touched me but angered me at the same time. "If you could choose between the life we have now and the life you wanted for me, but with you as the guy I meet in high school which would you choose?"

He considered my words for a moment. "As long as I am with you, I am content."

I shook my head. "You still haven't given me an answer."

"When we first met I desperately wanted the latter, to be human with you. You knew how much I hated who I was then and since meeting you would give anything to be your equal. But I knew that could never happen and there was no point wishing for things that would never be possible. So you became my equal and now I am happy."

I moved even closer to him, so our chests were touching. "Are you really happy though Edward? With the life we have now? I know you can't be truly happy when the people you love are upset. "

He sighed. "I would like, if possible, one day to go back to Carlisle. He would forgive me for the live I have strayed into. I know that he would welcome us and Alice back into the family and we would try to get back to normal."

I looked up into his red eyes, the ones that were so different yet very much the same to my own. "You'd never leave me again would you Edward?" I asked quietly.

He shook his head frantically. "Never, ever would I leave you again Bella. It's not good for me." He shot me his crooked smile.

I laughed. "I love it when you smile," I said.

"Then you must love yourself," he said.

"Why?"

"Because you are the one who makes me want to smile always," he said, leaning down and pressing his lips to mine.


	13. Chapter 13

"Bella," Edward kept on saying between kisses. "Bella, I love you."

I smiled in the kiss and I hoped he could feel it. I wrapped my hands in his hair, marvelling at how soft and fluffy it was. I pulled out of the kiss.

"Edward you are my only love," I said moving his head so he was looking me directly in the eyes. "It will always be you, don't you ever forget it."

He released his face from my hand and played with a strand of my hair with his long fingers. "You know Bella, it is a shame that I am so not right for you."

"What?" I asked, confused and scared of his words.

"No, not that way. I thought if we were so destined to be together that you would perhaps reconsider my offer of marriage."

I sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "You know how I feel about marriage Edward."

He sat down next to me and took my hand in his. "And you know how I feel about... you know."

I looked at him. "I'd never make you change at all. Just-"

"You want me to stop being so old fashioned," he interrupted.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "No no no. Don't change what you believe in. It's just I was brought up believing that marriage was disastrous and wrong."

"Is that what your mother told you?" Edward said.

The thought of my mother made my heart hurt. I hadn't thought about her in what seemed like an age. If only I could see her one more time...

I quickly snapped out of my thoughts about my mother. I didn't need another issue on my hands.

"Yes. She would be always telling me as I grew up never to get married, especially at such a young age like she did. You have to remember that I'm only eighteen."

"I'm one hundred and nine," he said proudly. "I'm surprised such a beautiful young lady like you would be at all interested in me."

I laughed. "You know what I mean."

He smiled and nodded. "Yes I do Bella. But will you be thinking the same in five, ten years along the line?"

"I don't know. I think I'll still see myself as the eighteen year old I am now, even though I'll be nearly thirty. I'll still think myself as too young."

He sighed. "What about one hundred, one thousand years down the line maybe then-"

I put my hands over his mouth to silence him. "Edward, you know how I feel. Please don't try to make me think as marriage as something other than a disappointment"

He nodded. "Ok, but remember what comes with marriage Bella. The joys."

"Yes, but we can be just as happy unmarried. You know how I feel about marriage and weddings. I like to keep things private."

He stood up. "Alright then Bella, I can see that I'm never going to convince you that marriage would be best for us. You'll just change your name; you don't even have to do that if you want to. My biggest wish is for you to be made my wife. Not a mate as you are seen by the Volturi; a wife. I will care for you and you for me. I guess I was just engaging in false hope. I'll just stay a virgin forever."

I stood up. "A virgin?"

He turned around shyly. "Yes a virgin. It may surprise you Bella, but in my over one century of existence I have never been intimate with a woman. I presume you are in the same situation."

I knew that if I was human I would be blushing tomato red right now and I think Edward would be too. "Yes Edward, I am still a virgin."

"Well, unless you leave me or refuse to marry me then I guess we'll both stay like that forever. With me being physically just seventeen I thought that perhaps marriage would make me feel more of a man."

"Oh, Edward, you are a man to me," I said moving closer to him.

"I need you Bella and I want you now even more than I wanted your blood when you were human. Just please reconsider my offer," he moved closer to my ear, gently nibbling on the lobe. "It will be worth it."

I took a deep breath. "Fine then. I will marry you, just please don't make a huge public announcement."

A large smile graced his features. "Oh Bella," he said picking my up and spinning me round in a circle, while I giggled. "I may seem a little cliché but you have made me the happiest man alive."

I couldn't think of anything to say at that moment but just smile at him. Edward, my fiancé, was happier than I have ever seen it before. If marriage was going to make him this happy, I wish I hadn't refused him the first time around.


End file.
